How to Make a Rue or Roux Basic White Sauce for every Dish

A rue, or “roux” sauce is the basis of many delicious and creamy sauces, both sweet and savory. It can be a plain white sauce, or cheese, bechamel, or mushroom sauce, and many more. These all start with a simple rue. Rue, or “roux” as it is called in culinary circles, actually means the butter and flour mixture that is used to start the sauce. Here is a basic white sauce rue recipe that can be adapted to incorporate many flavors, and so can be used in a huge variety of recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ounce of butter or margarine 1 ounce of flour 1/2 pint of milk Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Using a small saucepan, gently heat the butter or margarine, making sure not to over-heat and burn it. Take it off the heat and stir in the flour. Do not worry if it looks a bit lumpy at this stage, it will all smooth out. Next, put it back on the low heat, stirring till the rue or “roux” turns into a dry-looking ball. Now take it off the heat again and gradually stir in the milk. Blend and mix it in very briskly now, using a wooden spoon to break down any lumps. Put the saucepan back on the heat, bringing it gently to the boil. It is most IMPORTANT that you stir or whisk continuously till the sauce thickens. Add the seasoning and keep stirring over that low heat for a further 4 to 5 minutes.

That is the basic rue that can be used to make so many dishes taste wonderful. For a whole set or white sauce recipes, 243 at time of writing, you can go to www.cooksunited.co.uk.>Recipes

VARIATIONS:

Here are just a few variations to get you started with using your rue sauces to create interesting flavors. Cheese sauce just needs a pinch of dry English mustard, or a teaspoonful of ready-made and 3 ounces of Cheddar or Gruyere or mild cheese, grated. Stir these into the rue until the cheese melts. For a more Italian touch, use just 2 ounces of grated Parmesan. For shrimp sauce, great with fish dishes and pasta, just add 3 or 4 tablespoons of chopped cooked shrimp or prawns, if you prefer. Mushroom sauce can be made using this basic rue, simply by adding 2 ounces of chopped, lightly fried mushrooms. As you can see, once you know how to make a rue, you have a whole host of interesting dishes at your fingertips.